Category Archives: Publicity

When Is The Right Time To Advertise in a Newspaper?

Publicity, Services

I’m working in a shipping company. I am to decide on what days of the week we should advertise our services on our local newspaper to gain optimum benefit/attention. I have decided to advertise on two English newspapers and two Chinese newspaper due to the fact that most shippers look out for these papers for shipping schedules that are being published in them. So, how do i go about in deciding which days of the week we should advertise and how often to gain optimum benefit ?

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Jay’s Answer: Take a look at a week’s worth of the papers and see who’s advertising on which days to find your local pattern.

Also, consider placing the shipping information on your website, so people can find the information quickly online, and immediately think of your business. Advertise this online shipping information in the newspaper as well (esp. on days when the shipping info isn’t printed: “Looking for shipping info? Go to: shipping.mycompany.com)

How To Celebrate Automotive’s Dealer 30th Anniversary?

Publicity

We are an automotive dealer and now celebrating our 30th anniversary. I would like to ask what possible promos I could engage in. I would like also to know what tagline could attract more customers. We are selling brand new cars mostly Japanese utility vehicles.

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Jay’s Answer: Taglines won’t attract more customers – service & price & selection will. Make sure that these 3 are well done by your dealership first.

A 30th anniversary would be a great time to show a car from each of the last 30 years that you sold. Contact your past customers to ask if they still have their car, and offer to detail it for free in exchange for displaying it at the 30 year car show. Each car would have the year prominently displayed. 2008/9 cars would be your new cards for sale, with your sales team able to show how much things have improved over the last 30 years and to offer a special anniversary price.

The car show on-lot would garner great PR, from car enthusiasts to kids (since it’s family-friendly).

Are You Wedded To Your Marketing?

Creative Business Ideas, Publicity

Scott & Liz Market Their WeddingThe other day I received a most curious email from someone I’ve never met.

“My name is Liz Flowers and my fiance’s name is Scott Bland. We are a “not your average couple,” looking for a “not so average, ‘think out of the box’ type company” who would like to obtain some great exposure while truly showing pure generosity.

…

We were online securing vendors for our event and ran across a term known at “wedding sponsorship.” We read that a MAJOR Cola company granted a bride to be, $10,000 as long as she would give them publicity and serve their product at the reception!!

With that being said, we are seeking sponsorship gifts and or financial donations going towards both our wedding and honeymoon in exchange for media coverage and targeted publicity. Here’s how this would work…”

For the sake of argument, I’m going to assume that the couple is really going to get married and that they feel that they are entitled to having strangers underwrite their wedding. From a creative marketing perspective, is what they did good?

Certainly it was creative, since I hadn’t heard much about this before (although, as part of my research, I’ve found many other resources: ABC News and even a business specializing in this). However, is this an effective marketing campaign?

In a word, “no”. To be effective, it needs to clearly target me (or my business) and let me know how this opportunity will help me (other than being on their website, in their wedding program, and maybe incidental PR opportunities). First, why me/my business? The letter wasn’t tailored to me at all – it was a bulk emailing (“a spray and pray”). It puts the burden on me to read the email and figure out if there’s a tie-in worth my time/money.

What the couple should’ve done is identify specifically what services and products they wanted, and focus on vendors that could provide them. Instead of contacting everyone, contact only those that can clearly help them directly and create a win-win proposition. Furthermore, each contact should be directed to the right person in the organization. No doubt if another couple received a major sponsorship, they had a very specific request to the right person with a clear benefit to the sponsor.

Advertising That Drives People Away

Creative Business Ideas, Publicity

Ford Dealership Advertisement This advertisement got my attention, but not in a good way. The image of pliers grabbing a tooth made me immediately turn away. It didn’t get me curious what the ad was about, what was being sold, or who was selling. All I could think about was, “uggh!”.

The point of the ad is that every 3 years (or so), when people are shopping for a car, they inwardly groan.The #1 least trusted profession is used car salesman. A new car salesman is not much more trusted. This advertisement is focused on reducing pain (a good thing), but misses its mark.

First, let’s figure out the basic marketing strategy for this car dealership:

For local legal drivers

who need a new car

we have a system

to prevent the hassle of dealerships

unlike other non-trustworthy dealers/salespeople

our offering as transparent and easy as can be

Okay, so how to change the ad? Since the underlying pain is un-trustworthiness, try to make the association to professions that are trustworthy (according to a Harris Poll ): doctors, dentists, or nurses.

Here are some ideas:

  • Your Prescription For Pain-Free Car Shopping [key words are: car shopping (who), pain-free, and prescription (association to medical professionals)]
  • The New Way To Shop For Your Next Car [key words are: shop/car (who), new way (instead of the old/yucky way)]
  • We Feel Your Car Shopping Pain [key words are: car shopping (who), pain, and we feel (emotional connection)]

Also, I would change the graphic from pliers/massage to a salesperson wearing a white coat (embroidered with the logo of the dealership) to further the association.

How Can I Promote My Magic Trick Book?

Publicity

I have a website on card tricks, and soon I will have a book published on the same subject. I wanted to take advantage of free publicity in newspapers/magazines, and radio. However, card tricks are visual, and those mediums are not. (I don’t want to do TV because of all the travel to studios). Any ideas on how to present magic tricks so that promoting them would work on radio, etc?

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Jay’s Answer: If you’re promoting your book, you should be able to use print media (newspapers/magazines). For radio, you’d have to either do a mentalism trick (Think of a card, any card. Got it? Put in back in the deck and shuffle it….) or describe the benefits of doing magic (I used to do magic tricks for friends/family, and inspired many other kids to do magic as well. I’ve heard years later what a difference magic made in their lives, how it made them more outgoing, etc.).

Having a book on magic isn’t newsworthy. Doing magic tricks for a benefit, starting a magic-a-thon (raising $ for a non-profit), teaching executives how to use magic to improve their meetings, or people networking to do business card magic tricks is.

People know magic is a trick. What’s memorable is the artistry and feeling that is conveyed doing the trick. Teach people how to use magic to achieve personal growth, not just do tricks.

What’s A Cost-Effective Way To Market Our Regional Airport?

Publicity

I work for a regional airport in Ireland and we are looking to put in place a cost effective marketing strategies over the next 6 months. We have a few ideas but just interested in any innovative ideas you guys might have. Ideas have to be cost effective as we dont have big budget on this, main things is to try and raise awareness of the routes available from our airport in our region.

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Jay’s Answer: Have a free contest for airline tickets. People interested in entering fill out online form with email address, which airport they live near, and which destinations they are likely to use.

Discount coupons mailed to parents who recently had children. Relatives will be likely to visit and this is a great win-win.

Active senior centers – provide a discount to provide an “outing”.

College students living near one of the airports – especially a few months before holiday travel.

How Can I Promote My Local Rock Band?

Publicity

I have been following on a local Alt/rock band here in Vancouver and I am thinking of taking them on as a pet project. Of course the band doesn’t have much money to spend on promotions and such, so I need to come up with a thrifty way or promoting them. I believe their songs have very good potential and their past credentials of having worked with some very reputed folks from the music industry has convinced me to take this dive.

Now, I need to come up with a strategy to promote these guys and help get some money in so we can execute grander schemes. With the music industry being the way it is these days, DIY looks like a good way to go.

I also hear Japan is a very lucrative market for western music and would appreciate any pointers on how to get in on that.

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Jay’s Answer: MySpace, YouTube, and iTunes. Put band’s info on MySpace (and other social networking sites that your band’s demographic might use). Create videos of band performances for YouTube. Record Band songs for iTunes downloads (for sale).

What Are Some Marketing Ideas For A Travel Agent’s Events?

Publicity, Services

I am a travel agent working for a large company and I am one of five agents working in our travel department . I am required to put on a travel event in our office every month. I presented a Sandals Perfect Pairing Evening theme night in our office last month to promote the Sandals resorts and the Caribbean. Our Sandals rep came in and did a wonderful presentation and i had a local florist provide a few flower arrangements for decor . I am wanting to put on another theme night and was thinking of using one of our vendors who promotes European tours. I don’t know if I should specialize in one area, like Italy, or keep it general. Can you help me with creative ideas for the event? How to publicize it? Last time the company placed an ad for the event in the local paper. Local contacts? Any suggestions outside the usual box?

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Jay’s Answer: Keep the interest narrow – it’ll be easier to market “Italy” than “Europe”.

Create an Italian environment – serve food & drink from Italy (co-marketing with local restaurants). Local paper is fine, but also consider: Italian-American clubs in your area, Italian Classes (or even, foreign language schools), photography clubs (for photo-tours), cooking schools (food-tours), etc.

How Can I Market My Portraits To Doctors’ Offices?

Publicity, Starting Out

I am marketing portrait photography services in my community and one of our strategies is to set up community displays in local pediatrician, OBGYN and family practice physician offices. Basically I am looking to set up a small table in their waiting room with some marketing material, portfolio books and a contest for a free portrait session to collect names. Another option is to provide portraits for the walls of their waiting room and patient rooms with the studio logo in the corner.

So far I have just been cold calling the offices in person and asking if they would be interested. I’ve only tried about 10 and haven’t had luck so far. Are there any other methods you would suggest to make it more beneficial to them to agree?

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Jay’s Answer: Your question is basically – how can I get a doctor to provide me with prime advertising space? Why should the doctor’s office be willing to give up patient waiting area to you? What about liability – kids & glass don’t mix well. What about aesthetics – it’s your display in their space.

Start with asking doctors you (or your friends’) know. What are their concerns? Under what conditions would they be willing to do this (and for how long)? Once you understand their needs, then you can being to cold call (ideally, warm referrals are better) with the knowledge of what the key objections are, and how to appeal to the office need in general. For example, ask about the art work in their office – when was the last time it was updated? Offer to visit their office monthly to rotate portraits among the offices – change is always nice. Perhaps have themed pictures (holidays, etc.) that go with their decor, etc.

How Can I Do Source Code Tracking On Direct Mail?

Publicity

We currently use a source code tracking system that entails someone establishing a random 4-digit number and that number is then assigned to a certain promotional effort. My boss wants the codes changed so that he and others can say (by looking at the number) that these sales are from a catalog or from a publication mailing or whatever the effort was and also identify the time frame it was mailed in.

We mail a variety of different pieces including envelopes, catalogs, self-mailers, email, web and sales reps. On top of that we offer a large variety of products using each of these vehicles including publications, books, videos, awards and training.

The part that is tripping me up is that I only have 6 digits to work with and only numbers are allowed.

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Jay’s Answer: If the six digits are: ABCDEF

A = medium code (0-9)
BC = product code (00-99)
D = last digit of year (0-9)
EF = week of year (0-52)

If you have more than 100 products, then:

A = medium code (0-9)
BCD = product code (000-999)
EF = week of current year (0-52)

If you could also use letters + numbers, you could get a much larger range (use A-Z, excluding I and O, which will give you 24+10 =36 characters per slot)